Invalid bed



R. C. MILLER Aug. 20, 1940.

INVALID BED Filed July 29, 1938 v SIM 0mm .713. 5'. Miler r a n m Patented Aug. 20, 194i) irs'r oFFicEf This invention relates to beds generally; and more particularly to beds formedin pivotally connected sections adapted to be adjusted into positions whereby the patient or invalid may recline in the most comfortable position.

The main object of the invention is to provide a bed, formed of pivotally connected sections, with a reversible adjusting mechanism to enable the patient or attendant to adjust thesections according to the wish or requirement of the patient so that the latter may repose in a horizontal position, or may assume a position most convenient and comfortable. j

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjusting means for beds of this type whereby the sections may be relatively adjusted to each other and automatically locked in adjusted position.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the detailed description thereof pro ceeds. 1

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invalid bed which forms the subject matter of this application; V

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical section of the adjusting mechanism taken on the line 33 of Figure 2, the scale being greatly enlarged; and

Figure 4 is a plan of an adjusting disk forming one of the essential elements of the reversible adjusting and locldng mechanism.

As shown in the drawing, the invalid. bed comprises a rectangular frame having sidepanels 5 and it connected by ends land 8, suitably secured to the head and foot frames 9 and Ill, respectively. The mattress designated generally by the reference numeral ii is formed'in three sections i2, itand the middle section 13 being supported by flanges l5 and It turned inwardly from the side panels 5 and 5, respectively. The section 52 is supported by a rectangular frame having three sides It, H and is formed of angle iron, with the sides it and 58 connected by a fiat strip 59. A pivot rod 23 extends through flanges of the sides 28' and 22, and has its ends suitably secured in-the side panels 5 and 6.

In this bed, the section I2 is designed to be raised from and toward a horizontal position, while the section it may be raised and lowered with respect .to its normal horizontal position. To eiiect the necessary movements of these sections, a base plate 25 is riveted or otherwise secured to the lower sides of the inturned flanges l5 and i it. v suitably secured thereto a pivot pin 26 upon which is. rotatably mounted a worm gear 21 meshing with a worm 28 suitably secured to or formed integral with a rod 29 mounted in bearings 3i and 3! secured tothe base plate 25. The rod 29 extends through the side panels'5 and '6 and has its outer ends squared to receive detachably the usual crank handle 32. Q

The worm gear 2? is formed as a disk having its upper side provided'with a' cam groove 33, and its lower side is provided with a cam groove 34. The cam groove 33 is of the same width as a roller 35 movably mounted therein and pivoted to rotate on the end of a rod 36 which is mounted to reciprocate rectilinearly in bearings 31' and 38 secured to the lower side of the base plate 25.v Theouter end of the rod 36 is pivotally connected to one end of a link 39; the other end of the link is pivoted to a bracket 40 suitably secured tothestrap is. The link 39 is provided with an extension 5! adapted to contact with the lower side of the ro d'tfi to form a stop to prevent rotation of the link 39 in a downward direction from the horizontal. j

As shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawing, the worm gear 21 is positioned so as to hold the section l2 in horizontal position; The groove 33 is plotted in such manner that rotation of the disk 2? in a counter-clockwise direction, as. seen, in- Figures 3 and 4, causes the section I2 to become elevated about its pivot rod 20) as'indicated by the dotted line in Figure 3. Rotation of the disk in a clockwise direction from the position shown in Figures 3 and 4 does not effect any movement of the section. H from its normal horizontal position. This means that the groove 33 in that part below the line wer, as shown in Figure 4, must be formed as part. of a circle having its center at the axis of the pivot pin 26. That part of the groove 33 on the other side of the line a::r, may be formed asa spiral or ellipse, the distance of which from the axis of the pivot The center of this base plate has .10:

forms a guide groove for the roller 42 which is pivoted on one end of a rod 43 which latter is slidably mounted for reciprocation in the bearings 4-4 and 45 secured to the lower side of the base plate 25. The outer end of the rod 43 is pivoted to one end of a link 46, the other end of which is pivoted to a bracket 41 secured to the lower side of the strap 23. The groove 34 is shaped as a spiral, the distance of which from the axis of the pivot pin 23 increases continuously as the disk is rotatedin clockwise direction around the said axis. The two curves are designed to effect a lowering of the section l4 simultaneously with the elevation of the section l2, and to effect a raising of the section l4 above the horizontal during rotation of the gear 21 after the section l2 has been lowered to horizontal position and the disk is continuously rotated to cause its circular part of the groove 33 to movearound the fixed roller 35.

In the operation of this device, it will be apparent that rotation of the gear 21 in counterclockwise direction will cause an elevation of the section [2 aboutits pivot rod 29 and a simultaneous lowering of the section it about its pivot rod 24. Reversal of rotation restores the sections l2 and M to their original horizontal positions, and continuation of this reversed rotation leaves the section [2 in horizontal position and elevates the section It. above the horizontal as desired. The worm gear connection forms an automatic means for locking the sections in any position to which they may be adjusted.

The middle section l3 of the mattress H may be constructed with cylindrical part l3 removable to provide for the placing of a bedpan under the patient whenever that becomes necessary. Obviously, the invention may be considered as a portable combination hospital bed, invalid chair, stretcher and toilet which may be moved wherever desired while carrying a patient.

It is to be understood that the invention disclosed herein isnot to be considered as limited to any particular details of construction, nor in any other manner except as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

1. An invalid bed comprising a bed frame, a mattress supporting structure comprising a base plate forming a middle section secured to opposite sides of said bed frame, a head section and a foot section pivoted to said sides adjacent the opposite ends of said base plate, a pair of rods mounted to reciprocate rectilinearly on said base plate, links pivotally connecting the outer ends of said rods to said head and foot section, and means rotatable on said base plate and connected to the inner ends of said rods for reciprocating said rods simultaneously to effect simultaneous rotation of the head and foot sections about their pivot connections to said frame.

2. An invalid bed comprising a bed frame, a

mattress supporting structure comprising a base plate forming a middle section secured to opposite sides of said frame, sections pivoted to said frame on opposite ends of said middle section, a pair of rods mounted to reciprocate rectilinearly on said base plate, links pivotally connecting the outerends of said rods to said sections, and means rotatable on said base plate and connected to.

the inner ends of said rods to reciprocate them to effect simultaneous rotation of said sections about their pivot axes and to continue the rotation of one of said sections while the other is supported in horizontal position on said frame.

3. An invalid bed comprising a bed frame, a mattress supporting structure comprising a base plate forming a middle section secured to opposite sides of said bed frame, head or foot sections pivoted to said frame on opposite ends of said middle section, a pair of rods slidable on said base plate, links pivotally connecting the outer end of said rods to a head or foot section, rollers pivoted on the other end of said rods, a disk rotatable on said base plate and provided on opposite faces thereof with spiral grooves receiving said rollers, and means for rotating said disk to reciprocate said rods and effect simultaneous rotation of said head and foot sections about their pivot axes.

4. An invalid bed comprising a bed frame, a mattress supporting structure comprising a base plate forming a middle section secured to opposite sides of said bed frame, head and foot sections pivoted to said frame on opposite ends of said middle section, a pair of rods slidable on said base plate, links pivotally connecting the outer ends of said rods to the head or foot section, rollerspivoted on the other end of said rods, a disk rotatable on said base plate and provided on opposite faces thereof with arcuate grooves receiving said rollers, the periphery of said disk being provided with teeth forming a worm gear, a shaft rotatable on said base plate and having a worm meshing with said teeth to rotate said disk'in opposite directions and simultaneously rotate said head and foot sections about their pivot axes.

5. An invalid bed comprising a bed frame, a mattress supporting structure formed in three sections, one of which is fixed to opposite sides of said frame and the other two being pivoted to said frame adjacent the opposite ends of the first named section, and common means including a cam disc rotatably supported upon the middle section about an axis extending at right angles to theplane of said section andarranged to be manually operated through the intermediation of a worm gear for simultaneously rotating said latter sections about their pivot axes, from parallel planes into a common plane, and for continuing the rotation of one of said latter sections in one direction while the other of said latter sections is maintained at rest positioned in said common plane position.

, 6. An invalid bed comprising a bed frame, a mattress supporting structure comprising a middle section fixed to opposite sides of said frame, and sections pivoted to said frame at opposite ends of said middle section, and means mounted on said middle section including a cam wheel rotatably supported thereon in a plane parallel to the horizontal plane of the section, and linkages connected to said sections and each carrying cam rollers with each roller operatively connected to said cam wheel and arranged for simultaneously rotating said sections about their pivot axes and for continuing the rotation of one of said sections in one direction while the other of said sections is maintained at rest in said bed frame.

'7. An invalid bed comprising a bed frame, a mattress supporting structure including a middle section fixed to opposite sides of said frame and sections pivoted to said frame at opposite ends of the middle section, said sections arranged to normally lie in a common plane, and common means including a cam wheel having cam grooves in its opposite faces mounted on said middle section and linkages connected to the other sections 7 and having cam rollers respectively arranged to move in said cam grooves for rotating one of said sections about its pivot axis on either side of the common horizontal plane and for rotating the other of said sections on only one side of the said horizontal plane.

8. A invalid bed comprising a bed frame, a mattress supporting structure including a middle section fixed to opposite sides of said frame and end sections pivoted to said frame at opposite ends of the middle section, all of said sections lying normally in the same horizontal plane, rotary cam means mounted on said middle section, reciprocating link means o-perably connecting said cam means to said end sections, and means for operating said cam means to effect simultaneous rotation of said end sections in 0pposite directions relative to said horizontal plane.

9. An invalid bed comprising a bed frame, a

mattress supporting structure including a middle section fixed to opposite sides of said frame and end sections pivoted to said frame at opposite ends of the middle section, all of said sections lying normally in the same horizontal plane, a disk mounted to rotate on said middle section in a plane parallel to the horizontal plane of said section, means operably connecting said disk to said end sections, and means including a worm wheel and a Worm gear for rotating said disk in one direction to effect rotation of one of said end sections above said horizontal plane and toward and from said horizontal plane While the other section remains at rest in said plane, said means rotating said disk in the other direction to rotate both of said sections in opposite directions with respect to said horizontal plane.

RUDOLPH C. MILLER. 

